Police fail on law enforcement targets

Picture: CRAIG SILLITOESteve Bracks spends time with special operations group police who are preparing for anti-terrorism measures.

Victoria Police spent more than a million hours enforcing road rules last financial year but failed to meet targets for investigating crimes against people and illegal drug activity.

The Victoria Police annual report for 2001-02, tabled in State Parliament yesterday, showed that police fell more than 450,000 hours short of the set target of 1,442,000 for investigating crimes against people.

For investigation of crimes against property, police failed by more than 500,000 hours to meet the target of 1,740,000 hours. Investigation into illegal drug activity totalled 326,000 hours, much less than the target of 600,000 hours.

Police also failed to meet the target for total patrol hours, recording 37,000 fewer hours than the nominated figure of 2,500,000 hours.

But police easily exceeded the target for enforcing road rules, achieving nearly 1.1 million hours. The target was 850,000 hours.");document.write("

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Chief Police Commissioner Christine Nixon said yesterday the present methods to measure police performance were unsatisfactory and that work was being undertaken to develop a new model.

Ms Nixon said the police force was committed to reducing road trauma and deaths on Victoria's roads. Last year, 397 people died on the state's roads compared with 444 in 2001.

"Victoria Police is independent and makes its own decision regarding operational requirements," she said.

But Opposition police spokesman Kim Wells said the report showed the Bracks Government was "hell-bent" on using police as revenue raisers.

Mr Wells accused Premier Steve Bracks and Police Minister Andre Haermeyer of misleading Victorians at last November's state election by claiming community safety to be one of Labor's top priorities.

"Clearly the figures show their number one priority is turning the police force into revenue raisers," he said.

Last year's state budget forecast an 84.8 per cent increase in traffic fines in the next financial year, jumping $156 million to $336.6 million.

Mr Wells said the report was due to be tabled on October 31 last year and the Government had acted deceitfully by delaying its release until after the poll.

The annual report also showed Victoria Police posted a $19.2 million net loss for 2001-02. The poor result has been attributed to the accrual of long service leave entitlements.

A spokesman for Mr Haermeyer, Tim Mitchell, said the Government agreed with Ms Nixon that the performance measures needed changing.

Mr Mitchell said the addition of 800 police during the first term of the Bracks Government had made Victoria a safer place.

He said the latest crime statistics showed that overall crime in Victoria had fallen 4 per cent in 2001-02, with declines in drug offences and property damage, as well as a reduction in the road toll. "Fewer hours have been spent on drug investigations because there is less drug crime than two or three years ago," he said.

Police Association secretary Paul Mullett said police would never be able to meet all performance requirements while there were insufficient numbers of police.

He said Victoria needed 1200 more police. And the extra 600 police promised by Mr Bracks during last year's election campaign had to be introduced as fast as possible.